The present invention relates to wood laminates produced with substituted cellulose ester adhesives, and methods related thereto.
In the production of wood laminates, such as plywood, flooring, and furniture, a plurality of wood substrates are adhered together using an adhesive. The most common adhesives are urea and melamine formaldehyde resins because they strongly bind to wood substrates. However, it is believed that these adhesives may release formaldehyde into the surrounding environment over time, which is undesirable because formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, has a pungent odor, and has been shown to induce asthma attacks in relatively low doses.
Accordingly, formaldehyde-free wood adhesives are of much interest. However, alternatives, like polyurethane-based wood adhesives, often have less than satisfactory adhesive properties and produce low-quality wood laminates. Therefore, formaldehyde-free wood adhesives that exhibit adhesive properties comparable to or better than urea and melamine formaldehyde resins would be of value.